In a dramatic turn this week, a freshly filed lawsuit has brought renewed scrutiny to longstanding rumors involving Duane Martin and Will Smith. The lawsuit doesn’t just revisit those rumors — it expands them with additional allegations of threats, coercion, and claims of emotional and financial damage tied to a 2021 incident. Here’s what we know so far.
What the New Lawsuit Says
The lawsuit was filed by Bilaal Salaam, who describes himself as Will Smith’s close friend and associate for nearly four decades. According to the complaint, on September 25, 2021 — during a private birthday celebration for Will Smith at a hotel in Calabasas — he claims he was confronted in the lobby by Jada Pinkett Smith accompanied by several associates.
Salaam alleges that Jada issued a chilling threat, warning that he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued revealing personal details, and demanded he sign a nondisclosure agreement immediately. The lawsuit describes the encounter as verbally aggressive. Salaam says that after leaving the hotel, one of the entourage followed him to his car and persisted in threatening him.
Beyond that 2021 confrontation, Salaam claims that additional intimidation followed over the years — especially after he refused to help with a crisis-management effort in mid-2022, following the public controversy surrounding Will Smith at a major awards show. He says he refused to participate in what he considered unethical or immoral activity. As a result, he alleges the intimidation escalated, including threats from several of Smith’s associates once it became known that he planned a memoir and had made public statements about alleged observations involving Will Smith.
In total, the lawsuit seeks $3 million in damages. It accuses Jada Pinkett Smith of intentional infliction of emotional distress, reputational harm, and reputational destruction. Salaam claims the ordeal caused severe professional and personal losses — including damage to his luxury-jewelry brand, lost business opportunities, health issues, and psychological trauma.
Importantly, the complaint also references prior allegations made publicly by Salaam: he had previously claimed to have witnessed a sexual encounter between Will Smith and Duane Martin in the early 2000s. Those claims were widely denied at the time. The new lawsuit frames the threats and retaliation as punitive, aimed at suppressing his claims and possible memoir.
How Will Smith’s Camp Responded
Representatives for Will Smith and his family have strongly denied the decades-old rumors of intimacy between Smith and Duane Martin. At the time the claims resurfaced in 2023, Will’s team called them “completely fabricated” and “unequivocally false.” Jada Pinkett Smith publicly dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous” and “nonsense.” She also accused Salaam of attempting a money “shakedown.”
The new lawsuit renews the spotlight on those denials, but as of now, neither Will Smith nor Duane Martin has publicly responded to the fresh legal filing.
Why the Lawsuit Matters Regardless of the Rumor’s Veracity
What makes this lawsuit consequential isn’t just the resurfacing of unproven rumors — it’s the serious nature of the new allegations: threats, intimidation, and demand for silence under duress. Those claims, if substantiated in court, could have legal and reputational ramifications for the parties involved.
Even if the past rumors remain unproven, allegations of coercion and retaliation mark a distinct shift from gossip — into the realm of potential criminal behavior or civil liability. For many observing Hollywood and celebrity culture, this case raises bigger questions about power dynamics, truth, and accountability in high-profile circles.
For Duane Martin, the renewed attention carries weight despite his non-involvement in the lawsuit. The allegations once again thrust his name into headlines. For Will Smith, the legal battle may again challenge his public image and personal legacy.
Where Things Stand Now
- Salaam’s lawsuit is active, seeking $3 million in damages. The core of the complaint involves alleged threats, coercion, and emotionally and financially destructive fallout — not solely the earlier rumors about Smith and Martin.
- No public response has come yet from Will Smith or Duane Martin regarding the new lawsuit.
- The earlier sexual-relation allegations remain formally denied by Smith’s representatives and dismissed as false.
- The new lawsuit reframes the situation as potentially criminal or defamatory, depending on how it plays out — shifting focus from gossip to serious accusations of wrongdoing.
What to Watch Next
The coming weeks may reveal if the lawsuit proceeds to discovery, if new evidence emerges, or if the parties attempt to settle. Will there be corroboration of claims of threats? Will lawyers for Smith and associates file motions to dismiss? Will Duane Martin weigh in publicly? All these questions loom.
Beyond the courtroom, the case may stir broader conversations about anonymity, power, and trust in Hollywood’s inner circles.
If you have a perspective on this, drop a comment — I’d like to hear your thoughts.